Burkina-Faso: Three soldiers arrested for plotting to destabilise the Transition
In a press release issued on Friday 08 September 2023, the public prosecutor’s office at the Ouagadougou military court announced the arrest and remand in custody of 3 military personnel suspected of military conspiracy to destabilise the conduct of the Transition.
These three members of the army are being prosecuted for «military conspiracy, violation of orders, conspiracy against State security, criminal association and endangering the lives of others» says the note from Burkina Faso’s military prosecutor’s office.
According to the memo, at the end of August 2023, the military prosecutor’s office was informed of a plot «to identify sensitive points and homes, including that of the President of the Transition and certain civil and military authorities» by a group of «military personnel and former military personnel, working together»
According to the prosecutor’s office, they were preparing a plan to destabilise the Transition. The military prosecutor’s office therefore instructed the Ouagadougou Gendarmerie Research Section to open an investigation.
Following the investigations, «three (03) military personnel were arrested and brought before an examining magistrate, who charged them with military conspiracy, violation of instructions, plotting against State security, criminal association and endangering the lives of others»
The note emphasises that those questioned readily admitted the facts. «Investigations are continuing with a view to establishing all possible implications and drawing all legal consequences» the press release states.
The military prosecutor’s office is also inviting anyone with information that could help the investigation to refer the matter directly to it, or to make it available to the Ouagadougou Gendarmerie Research Section.
As a reminder, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralisation and Security, Emile Zerbo, has denounced ill-intentioned individuals planning to «destabilise the current Transition and sow chaos in Burkina Faso»
Rachid Nyaoré
